Talladega Superspeedway Museum Is Worth The Trip

I was on a road trip to Cullman, Alabama, and as I passed Talladega Superspeedway, I knew I had to stop. The International Motorsports Hall of Fame is full of NASCAR history with cars from all superstars of the sport. Talladega Superspeedway Museum Is Worth The Trip.

The car that caught my attention first was the winner of the 1964 Daytona 500. The original driver of the winning car Marvin Panch was in a bad wreck before the race and was trapped beneath a burning sports car just as  mechanic and out-of-work driver Tiny Lund came driving through the tunnel at the track at the exit of Turn 4. Lund helped turn the car right-side-up and assisted in extricating Panch from the burning car.

In the incident, Panch suffered severe but not life-threatening burns and was transported to Halifax Hospital in Daytona Beach to recuperate. Panch told the crew from his hospital bed that Tiny Lund should be his replacement in the No. 21 Ford for the Daytona 500. Tiny went on to win the Daytona 500 on one set of tires, ran out of gas at the end, and coasted over the finish line. The car is in the Hall of Fame and has an Augusta, Georgia, sponsor on the side, as you'll see in the photos below.

International Motorsports Hall of Fame hours are Monday through Sunday — 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM.

The museum tour is a walking, self-guided tour that takes approximately an hour to complete. In addition to the three exhibit halls and pavilion area, the Motorsports Hall of Fame also includes the McCaig-Wellborn Motorsports Research Library, a 3,000-square-foot space with over 14,000 volumes of books, magazines, and other research materials (open weekdays only). It may be the most comprehensive collection of motorsports information on Earth.

The average Hall of Fame & Museum tour can take between 1 and 3 hours, depending on the time you wish to spend with each attraction.